Introductory Unit: Using Geography to Investigate the World
In this unit, students are introduced to the definitions of geography, physical geography and cultural geography. Students are exposed to the geographic concepts and skills that they will use during the course, including a review of the concepts of culture and region.

At this point in the year, it will be beneficial for the teacher to conduct diagnostic assessments on students' reading, writing and technology skills, using the textbook, web sites and other instructional materials that will be used in the classroom. Using this information, the Social Studies teacher can coordinate with other members of the Interdisciplinary Team to plan for reading, writing, and technology integration so that skill instruction can be integrated with geography instruction. At this point in the school year, teachers will need to confirm that signed Acceptable Usage Policies (AUPs) are on file for each student so that the students may use the computer lab.

This unit should take 10 instructional days.

MARYLAND LEARNING OUTCOMES & INDICATORS for this unit

ESSENTIAL SKILLS

KEY QUESTIONS:

1. How do different factors affect the location of human activities? (CS GEO 1.8.3)
2. How do physical/natural and human-made features of places define regions? (CS GEO 2.0)

UNIT QUESTIONS:

  1. What is geography?
  2. How can studying geography help us understand the world?
  3. What is physical geography?
  4. What is cultural geography?
  5. What are the differences between physical geography and cultural geography?
  6. What are the elements of culture?
  7. What is a region?
  8. What is the difference between physical/natural, human and capital resources?
  9. What are the geographic skills?
  10. What are the tools of a geographer?
  11. How do geographers use and/or construct geographic tools to acquire, organize and apply information from a spatial perspective?

ESSENTIAL CONTENT/CONCEPTS
I. Purpose for studying geography
A. Geography provides a systematic way of explaining and understanding the world.
B. Geography influences culture.
II. Definitions
A. Geography: the study of people, places, environments and their relationships from a spatial perspective.
B. Geographic information will always reference location (absolute and relative)
C. Maps are the primary tools of a geographer
1. Map elements include directions, legends, grid systems, boundary lines, scale and political units.
D. Physical geography is the study of the location of the earth's physical features and its resources, including climates, soils, and vegetation.
1. Review landforms
a. mountains
b. hills
c. plains
d. plateaus
2. Climate: average weather over a long period of time*
a. tropical
b. humid continental
c. highlands
d. semiarid
e. subarctic
f. tundra
g. Mediterranean
h. polar
i. Humid subtropical
j. marine
*Climate types can be introduced here but should be taught within the context of an instructional unit (i.e., Africa, CIS, etc.)
III. Region
A. Region: an area with unifying characteristics
1. Physical characteristics (i.e., mountain regions)
2. Cultural regions (i.e., language, religion)
3. Political regions (i.e., Eastern Europe, Western Europe, democracies)
4. Economic regions (i.e., market economies, mixed economies)
IV. Cultural geography is the study of the world in terms of cultural characteristics
A. Elements of culture
1. Social organization
2. Family patterns
a. nuclear family
b. extended family
3. Social Classes
B. Customs and traditions
C. Language
D. Arts and Literature
E. Religion
F. Forms of Government
G. Economic Systems

STUDENT OUTCOMES

  • Students will be able to compare physical geography and cultural geography.
  • Students will be able to create a mental map of the world.
  • Students will be able to create a map of the world.
  • Students will be able to read and interpret a map accurately.
  • Students will be able to create a map using the map elements.
  • Students will be able to describe the elements of culture.
  • Students will be able to use the concept of "region" to organize geographic data.
  • Students will be able to use geographic data to organize places into regions.
  • Students will be able to ask geographic questions.
  • Students will be able to acquire geographic information from maps (spatial tools), electronic sources including CD-ROMS and World Wide Web sites, and traditional print sources.
  • Students will be able to organize geographic information in a map, chart, table, or graph.
  • Students will be able to analyze geographic information by evaluating a World Wide Web site.
  • Students will be able to answer geographic questions.

    Africa
    Middle East/North Africa
    Europe
    Asia
    CIS & Russia
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